Assisted living incident report deadlines and forms by state

Assisted living incident deadlines depend on the state and the event. California's residential care facilities for the elderly file a written report within 7 days for a death, a serious injury or a threat to a resident; Texas requires a report immediately and within 24 hours, Pennsylvania within 24 hours and Florida within 1 business day.

How long does an assisted living facility have to report an incident?

The reporting deadline for an assisted living incident depends on the state and the event, from immediately in Washington and within 24 hours in Texas and Pennsylvania to 1 business day in Florida and 7 days in California for a written report.

The table shows each state's event, deadline, form or channel and official source.

The recipient differs by state too. California's written report goes to California's licensing agency and the person responsible for the resident, and Pennsylvania's goes to the Department and the resident's family. Texas facilities report to Complaint and Incident Intake at Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC), Florida facilities to the agency, and Washington facilities to the Department of Social and Health Services.

What must a California residential care facility for the elderly report, and on which form?

A California residential care facility for the elderly files a written report with California's licensing agency and with the person responsible for the resident within 7 days of any of these events: a resident's death, a serious injury that the attending physician determines and that occurs while the resident is under facility supervision, or an incident that threatens a resident's welfare, safety or health (22 CCR 87211). The last event includes physical or psychological abuse of a resident by staff or other residents and an unexplained absence.

The written report carries the resident's name, age, sex and date of admission, the date and nature of the event, the attending physician's name, findings and treatment, and the disposition of the case. The Unusual Incident/Injury Report, form LIC 624, tells the facility to notify California's licensing agency, the placement agency and responsible persons by the next working day, to submit the written report within 7 days of the occurrence and to retain a copy in the client's file. The California Department of Social Services forms list also carries a separate Death Report, LIC 624A, and a Law Enforcement Contact Report, LIC 624 LE.

Epidemic outbreaks, poisonings, catastrophes and major accidents that threaten the welfare, safety or health of residents, personnel or visitors go to California's licensing agency within 24 hours by telephone or facsimile, and to the local health officer when appropriate. Fires and explosions go to the local fire authority immediately and to California's licensing agency no later than the next working day.

This California text comes from a California Department of Social Services manual edition for residential care facilities for the elderly, so confirm the current Title 22 text before relying on it.

How do Texas assisted living facilities report an incident?

A Texas assisted living facility reports an incident to Complaint and Incident Intake at Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC) immediately and within 24 hours of the incident, then submits Form 3613-A no later than the fifth calendar day after the initial report, under provider letter PL 2026-01, revised June 8, 2026.

A fire that damages the facility goes to Texas HHSC within 72 hours after the fire is extinguished, followed by a complete report on Form 3707. Texas encourages providers to report online through TULIP, the Texas Unified Licensure Information Portal, and its portal page says an incident can be reported online at any time, day or night.

The same portal page still gives a fax number, 877-438-5827, for a Provider Investigation Report and its attachments, under conditions the page sets, so read them there before faxing.

What do Pennsylvania, Florida and Washington require?

Pennsylvania, Florida and Washington each set their own clock: Pennsylvania requires a report to the Department within 24 hours, Florida a preliminary report within 1 business day, and Washington an immediate report.

Pennsylvania's rule, 55 Pa. Code 2800.16, also requires the residence to report the incident to the resident's family immediately and to send the final report on the Department's prescribed form immediately after the investigation ends.

Florida's statute, s. 429.23, gives a licensed facility 1 business day after an adverse incident for a preliminary report to the agency and 15 days for the full report with the results of the facility's investigation. Both go through the agency's online portal, or by electronic mail if the portal is offline.

Washington DSHS tells reporters to report to the Department of Social and Health Services immediately, and its online portal takes PDF uploads from assisted living facilities.

Which states take an incident report by fax?

Of the five states, California takes a fax for its 24-hour events and Texas takes one for a Provider Investigation Report under its conditions, while Florida and Washington run on online portals.

For California's 7-day written report and for Pennsylvania's reports, confirm the delivery method with the state agency before sending.

What gets an incident report late or rejected?

An incident report runs late or misses its rule when it follows the wrong clock for the event, uses the wrong form, skips a notice the state names or goes by a channel the state does not take for that report.

• The clock follows the event: a California outbreak report is due within 24 hours, a serious injury within 7 days and a fire by the next working day.
• The form follows the event: California has a Death Report, LIC 624A, and a Law Enforcement Contact Report, LIC 624 LE, beside the LIC 624.
• Pennsylvania adds a notice to the resident's family immediately, beside the 24-hour report to the Department.
• A California fire has two recipients and two clocks: the local fire authority immediately and California's licensing agency by the next working day.
• A Texas fire that damages the facility has its own clock, 72 hours after the fire is extinguished, with Form 3707 to follow.
• Texas takes a fax for a Provider Investigation Report only under the conditions on its incident portal page.

How do nursing homes, home health and hospice compare?

Nursing homes certified for Medicare and Medicaid report under federal rules, and HIPAA compliant fax for nursing homes covers what a nursing home faxes. Home health and hospice agencies serving residents have their own pages: HIPAA compliant fax for home health agencies and HIPAA fax for hospice agencies. The BAA and the price for an assisted living facility are on HIPAA fax for assisted living facilities: BAA, orders and price.

How do you fax an incident report securely and keep proof?

A facility faxes an incident report securely, where the state takes a fax, from a HIPAA fax service that signs a BAA, and files the delivery record in the resident's file beside the copy California's LIC 624 tells it to keep. Fax Pigeon's BAA is signed at signup on every plan, each delivered fax gets delivery proof, and a paid plan faxes from the facility's own number, which can receive any faxed reply. A shared inbox with roles and assignment lets the administrator and the nurses sort what comes back, and the cover sheet is optional.

* Official sources (the California Department of Social Services, Texas Health and Human Services, the Pennsylvania Code, Washington DSHS, the Florida Legislature) were read on October 26, 2026. Fax Pigeon prices and plan terms as of October 26, 2026.